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Lance sighed, looking down at the battlefield with only half his attention.
“Can you not?” Pidge’s tone was annoyed, and they grunted as they zapped a sentry down. Lance was barely giving that his interest, instead focusing on the route ahead of the team, and sniped down a rover bot as it rounded the corner.
“I can too,” Lance muttered, pulling back into his attention. “Do you even know what date it is?”
“Do any of us even know what year it is?” Pidge scoffed.
“It’s definitely 22XX,” Hunk answered. “Because we’ve definitely been out here in space for at least six months.”
“It’s July,” Lance replied. “It’s July, and I am one year older today.”
“It’s your birthday?” Keith paused, looking back up at Lance. Beside him, Shiro stiffened, keeping his attention ahead while Hunk finally caught up to them both. Far ahead, Pidge took out another sentry.
“The big two-one,” Lance sighed. “This is not how I planned to celebrate it.”
“Wait. You’re twenty-one.” Pidge froze this time, joining everyone in staring at Lance. “You. Are twenty-one.”
“Yeah.” Lance grinned, putting his chin in the crook of his thumb and forefinger, posing despite being too far away for anyone to see. “I can officially have booze in the entire portion of planet Earth.”
“Not the point.” Pidge pointed at Hunk and Keith. “They are nineteen.” They pointed at Shiro. “Twenty-five.” Pointed at themselves. “Eighteen.” Pointed up at Lance. “So. How are you the second-oldest of us?”
“Unlike the rest of you genius children, I actually had to study.” Lance grumbled, still remembering the long nights of intense study, and nearly a year of cramming up on science facts. “I got into the program after I graduated high school, and it’s only pure happen-chance that I was put up against a sixteen-year-old Keith. Wait.” Lance narrowed his eyes, catching the surprise of Keith and Hunk’s faces. “Hold the phone. Did you think I was the same age as you? Did you think our entire class was a bunch of teenage geniuses?
“First of all, it’s happenstance.” Hunk held up a single finger. “Second of all, I was too nervous! You remember what I was like that entire first year!” He paused, eyes narrowing. “Wait a tick. That first year. My crush on Jeanne Ocampo. You talked me out of confessing! I thought she was a year older!”
“Yeah, a year older than me.” Lance rolled his eyes. “She was about to turn twenty, and you were sixteen. I was saving you from the embarrassment!”
“You called me your rival.” Keith frowned, getting that look on his face like he was running his brain cells on overdrive. “You had a rivalry with a younger guy this whole time?”
“The genius pilot does not get a voice. Back me up here, Shiro.” Lance finally looked toward Shiro, only to pause when he was still standing stiff. “Shiro?”
“You’re twenty-one.” Shiro finally spoke, his voice full of something that drew everyone’s attention.
“Yeah?” Lance leaned into his scope, hoping that Shiro would turn and give him a peek at what was happening.
“…Lance I’ve had the biggest crush on you since Keith’s desert shack, and you’re saying that I could have asked you out no problem this entire time?”
Everyone froze, and Lance’s face turned bright, steaming red.
“You—crush—me?” Lance couldn’t keep his voice from being a strangled squeak. Keith groaned and slapped his face, while Hunk and Pidge were fighting their spirits back into their bodies.
“Do you want to go out? On a date?” Shiro finally turned around, shooting Lance a single finger gun. “You’re my sharpshooter.”
Lance didn’t know what noise he made, but it definitely was positive. Down below, Shiro grinned while Keith, Hunk, and Pidge all made varying protests.
“Best birthday gift ever,” Lance finally got out, still steaming red.